I am beyond ready for the weekend! This has been a really great week, but tiring! I am ready to just relax and unwind a bit.

A few years ago I started a tradition where I start -shortly after Christmas- putting money aside each month and then treat myself to a shopping trip in June as a birthday present to myself (that I don't have to feel guilty about!)

Today's post features two pieces I got on said trip. The pleated skirt and the dramatic necklace. I found the skirt first, at H&M and was instantly drawn to the rich color. In the dressing room I was already thinking of ways to pair it.

Later in the day, I came across this dramatic Jessica McClintock necklace and it was also love at first sight. Right away I knew I would pair it with the skirt, the contrast in colors would be perfect! I was not disappointed. The blue top was a fun surprise though. I tried them together just on a whim and ended up loving the whole look!

If you follow me on Instagram, this look maybe familiar. I wore it last Saturday to the grand opening of The Designer Square. My friend and one of the most ambitious people I know, designer Tygerian Lace created a new way for clients and designers to interact via this boutique. It hosts numerous other designers; of course Tygerian Lace, Flow by Tara Davis, Felicity by BDPD ECRU, Emerald and Onxy (I've seen her designs several times and they are incredible!), Skyler James and KISH by KISH just to name a few!

The store offers custom, handmade pieces from designers as well as alterations and uplifts.

I met Tygerian Lace a few years ago and did a shoot for her once as well. Her designs are stunning and always leave me in awe. But she works hard and is always taking on new ventures. Not to mention she is one of the kindest people I have met. I definitely recommend checking out the Designer Square any chance you get!

I hope you all had a nice weekend! Mine was great, but busy! -I'll get into that more next post!

Today's post is a particularly fun one for me. The look itself is an easy to style/easy to wear look that is great for a variety of different things. Day dates, lunch dates, running errands, shopping, or exploring downtown which is what I did -sort of!

I teamed up with a photographer, Michael (Dadphotographer on Instagram) and we had plans of where we wanted to shoot. Unfortunately Mother Nature had plans of her own and we had to work around it. It was pouring! Then it cleared up a little, then as I was arriving it began to pour again! Although we had to relocate, and dodge these short-lived rain storms everything worked out pretty good. The sun came out again and we ended up getting some great shots!

Working with Michael was great as well! Not only is he talented, he is also extremely nice and laid back. I was incredibly anxious driving there because I goofed and ended up running late to our shoot -which I hate being late for anything, let alone an opportunity like this! But Michael was gracious and understanding. During the shoot, we chatted about our passions -photography and blogging- how long we had been doing them, how we got into them, what our goals were. And by the end of the shoot I felt like I was working with a friend.

For today's post, I played around with a few different pieces. I used a black peplum top and black shorts as the base to build the look around. It is a little hard to tell it is a peplum top in the pictures, especially with the vest,but I really like the vest styled with it. It adds a little extra color and structure.

It has been awhile since I have worn a long necklace like this -mostly because being the clutz I am, I wind up getting it hooked on something *sigh.* But this strand of pearls is one of my all time favorites. I have had it now for a few year and can't find it in my heart to give it up. It is classic! And when I do use it, it really stands out!

For today's post I'm sharing another birthday look with you. This top has been one of my favorite pieces since I found it 2 (maybe 3) years ago. I've previously worn it with shorts here and here. This time however, I chose to style it with distressed denim, a statement necklace, and sapphire bag.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, this top has such a great design! It has a romantic/goddess like feel to it. It can pretty much stand alone style-wise. Today though, I decided to style it with an equally dramatic statement necklace from Newchic.com.

And finally, this sapphire blue bag from Versona. I have had it for at least two years and I love it! It is one of my favorite bags! I don't use it as much as it deserves to be used -which I plan on changing stat! The design of it is beautiful, and the color stunning!

On Wednesday night, I was able to have an amazing dinner with some of my favorite people. The restaurant -Fahrenheit- was incredible! The view was stunning. The food, great (we got a complimentary lamb meatball dish that was delicious!) And the company even better!

That was the night before my birthday.

On my actual birthday, my family took me to our favorite restaurant, I got one AMAZING chimmy chonga and of course a great cake!

I'll keep this post short, I just want to say it was such a great birthday! Thanks to everyone who came out! Thanks to everyone for the messages, posts, and texts! They all meant so much!

For today's post, I'm excited to share this gorgeous Shein dress with you! If one dress could embody the essence of summer, I think it is this dress! The bright, bold color is stunning enough, but the dramatic tie belt that accompanies it, really brings it to life. Who would have thought that such a simple design could have so much character and life?!

The simplicity makes it easy to style. Today I kept it casual with wedges and a gold studded bag from Francesca's. I wanted the dress to stand alone for this post, before I try pairing it with different colors, belts, and accessories.

And for all the students and teachers out there, happy last day of school!

This dress I have had for a few years now I LOVE it! Its -regrettably- a dress I tend to forget about a lot. But when I'm cleaning out my closet and I come across it, I just fall in love with it all over again. The floral print is bright and cheerful, the ruffled, uneven hem adds character, and its so comfortable!

For today, I paired it with the most comfortable shoes -Verona wedges. Subtle, but the criss-cross straps add their own charm to the look. The vest, I think, serves as an anchor. It helps tie all the colors together.

But with these temps lately, dresses, skirts, and shorts are much easier to wear and much more breathable!

A few post's ago I played with shades of blue. Today, I'm playing with shades of purple!

This fun look just came to me by chance. I'm weeding through my closet -STILL!- and there are certain things I have such trouble parting with. So, I'll put them to the side and keep trying those pieces with other pieces Which is how this look was created.

I was surprised with how much I loved the contrast of the royal purple blouse and the fuchsia skirt. The additional color from the bag and the shoes are what really ties the look together.